Email

This is a copy of the email I sent out, I just wanted to make sure anyone not on my list who is interested can read it!

Dear friends,

Thank you so much for your patience, I know i have not been faithful in keeping you updated with what's happening here in Seattle and for that I apologise. I am making a commitment to you that my blog will be updated much more regularly from this point, as this new season continues to unfold.

For now this is my update. It's quite long, just to warn you!

YWAM Seattle has decided not to run programs for the coming year. Many of us on staff have been here for many years and speaking personally I have felt drained by the pace and intensity of the DTS. It felt like my life was put on hold for 6 months while we ran the program. At first this didn't seem like a big deal, but over time this has created strained relationships not only within our YWAM community but especially in the wider community that we have built here in Seattle.

This does not fit at all with the Philosophy of ministry we have at YWAM Seattle (see my blog for detals of this), and I believe God has personally spoken to each one of us here about the inconsistency or seeming lack of integrity this shows our students. We are giving them a taste of community but not of a sustainable community. Not one they could ever hope to recreate in their homes or at their colleges or wherever they go after DTS. Not even one we are able to sustain after they leave.

I personally believe that true community is a very missional way to live and to share Christ with those who don't know him. I believe that we have a calling to develop our community as a tool and a foundation for our programs, especially DTS.

As staff we have not made much time to intentionally develop our community outside of working our programs together. We do not have to be intentional with one another because our schedules dictate we spend every waking second together for 6 months. Within that schedule however there does not seem to be much space to genuinely care for each other because of our time commitment to our students.

I hope this is making sense.

All that to say somewhere along the way, it seems like we lost our vision. Speaking personally, I felt lost in the DTS and trapped in running it the way it has always been run,. I know we run a good program here, but I also know it can and needs to be changed and made better in some areas. As staff we need to take a step back and do some learning and growing, make some mistakes and learn from them too. Make concious decisions about some key areas in our lives, so as we live life we can truly be transparent to each other, our students and our city. Trusting that God will be seen there.

To give myself some more structure for the coming season, and also to have an opportunity to work more closely with the local church here in Seattle, I am applying to intern with my church part time for the coming year. I know this will stretch and challenge me within areas of ministry and make me get out of my comfort zone too.

I would be working alongside the Missions Pastor as well as the woman who overseas church community. I am still talking with the head Pastor about exactly what this will look like but am so excited about what I will learn and how this time will infuse the new plans and ideas I/we have for the DTS next fall.

As part of my application to intern, I have to answer some questions about my life story and personal vision and goals etc. I have not spent much time refining these since I joined YWAM staff 4 years ago. It has been a great opportunity to really seek the Lord.

During our time together as a staff we have done personality tests and Strength finders as well as the spiritual gifts tests (I'll post some of my results on my blog, if you are interested!)

These tests or tools, have really been affirming to me in the choices I have made to be a part of YWAM staff. In light of the new decisions I am having to make, I have been re-examining them. Again, they have been useful in helping me make sense of my desire and vision for the soming year. Working alongside my church this year, the ideas I have for developing community and building connections for us as YWAM, and creating the DTS to be a place to help facilitate our students in developing community and connections as they serve are all things that are reflected in my core values and giftings.

This is turning into a very long email, so if you have read this far I really appreciate you sticking with it!

I will continue to update my blog regularly through this process and more than ever would love to hear your thoughts and ask for your prayers.

If you have questions please ask them. a BIG desire of mine is to really keep the connection I have with you and share what I am learning as well and continuing to learn from the ministry and community you share in Selsdon. (If you are not from SBC please ignore that sentence and just know how much you are appreciated, and how much I would love to hear your thoughts also)

We are renting the Grey house for this next year, and continuing to fund raise at this point with a view to buying it if possible next summer.

Thanks for reading, please check my blog for updates. Let me know what you think and tell me how you are doing. I will be back in Croydon for Christmas!!!

In His hands,
Chrissie x